Better let her handle it herself.
Hoshiguma felt she would definitely make plenty of fool of herself, but none of it would do any real harm. Even Hoshiguma was happy to watch, so she simply stepped aside and silently watched Ch'en.
Swire had already left.
"What are you doing?"
"Watching you."
Hoshiguma folded her arms without the slightest temper, standing there like an iron tower.
"The Guard Department has regulations. Items confiscated from officers slacking off during work hours have a designated storage room, and they are returned after work."
Hoshiguma recited the rules.
"Old Ch'en, that's a bit too obvious."
"The precinct has regulations. Subordinates aren't allowed to talk back to their superiors!"
"Fine, fine."
Hoshiguma had no desire to confront her superior head-on and hurriedly left the scene. Of course, she knew what this so-called confiscation was really about. She had only spelled it out this time because she wanted to see Ch'en's reaction.
It really was... exactly as expected.
The office door rumbled shut. Hoshiguma leaned against the corridor wall, imagining Ch'en reading seriously inside. She was so serious that she took notes even while reading—if she made notes while reading romance novels too, that would be utterly ridiculous, wouldn't it?
"What are you laughing at?"
Swire had not gone far. Seeing Hoshiguma like this, she could not help asking.
"What are you laughing at?"
Hoshiguma noticed that Swire was smiling too.
"Nothing." Swire looked rather unnatural. "I just casually lied to her. Who knew she'd actually believe it?"
Ch'en had a well-known trait within the Guard Department.
She found it especially difficult to trust others—one could even say she was completely impervious. But once she had trusted someone at least once, she trusted them deeply, as though she were afraid of losing that trust.
In the